The Blue Lagoon in Iceland is close to the Reykjanes Ridge which divides the Eurasian tectonic plate from the North American tectonic plate. Shown in context with the mantle currents, the exact location is on the top of a perpendicular division line.
Blue Lagoon location
Besides this, the Reykjanes Ridge actually ends close tho the Reykjanes Peninsula, and a volcanic zone replaces its role as a divisional feature between the tectonic plates. The Blue Lagoon is found within that volcanic zone, explaining the location further. Zooming in and adding the tectonic division line shows how accurate the crossings fit with the location of the Blue Lagoon:
Blue Lagoon at the crossings of tectonic and mantle division lines
The tectonic featueres consist mainly of NE trending volcanic fissures and N-S oriented earthquake faults, but NW trending topography might also be found. Detailed material and maps can be found at this site:
An indication that the NW-SE oriented mantle division line, underneath the convection rolls oriented NE-SW shaping the Reykjanes Ridge, have direct effect on the area is this map showing the changes of gravity as measured from 1975 to 1999:
Geosea near Húsavík in Iceland is a new tourist attraction. The baths make use of geothermal heat in the area, originating from boreholes at the seaside.
Geosea and the lighthouseThe entrance of GeoseaThe position of Geosea, on the division line
The Hellisheiði Power Plant is found on the list of top ten geothermal power plants in the world. As a single power plant producing about 300 MW of electricity and with the equivalent of 133 MW for supplying hot water, it provides a total of over 400 MW of energy.
The location of Hellisheidi Power Plant is in accordance with the convection currents of Earth’s mantle, as shown on this map:
The location of Hellisheidi Power Plant
These lines are derived from the section of convection rolls found at equator.
The equator plane section of measured layers, with convection rolls pattern inserted.
By deriving the division lines to the north from equator, they can be traced towards Iceland. The main division line between two of the twelve large convection rolls of lower mantle is found under the power plant, providing the energy and geological preconditions for utilization of geotherrmal heat.
Where the Power Plant is located, the two plates of Europe and America meet. But underneath the two mantle convection rolls under the eastern and western side of the Atlantic Ocean pull in opposite directions, excerting the force necessary for the tectonic drift to occur.
Let us have a closer look (zoom in) at the crossings, pointed out on the large scale map above:
The location of Hellisheiði Power Plant compared with crossings of main division lines of convection rolls
The town of Hveragerði has the most spectacular location, as the main crossings are found at the montain Reykjafell at its side. Only just over 10 km away is the Hellisheidi Power Plant. Another power plant of Nesjavellir is nearby. In between them is the volcano Hengill, with the division line under it, with the orientation of NW-SE. In this way, we can look into the details of the main crossings of convection rolls in Iceland, providing a set of very special geological phenomena.
At the equator line, special physical circumstances prevail, simply becaus of the rotation. The division points between convection rolls play therefore a strong role there, acting as constraints to the tectonic drift.
Then look at the map of the Faroe Platform. You can notice the round form north of the islands.
The Faroe Platform as seen on Google Earth
East of the islands, the Faroe-Shetland Trough seperates the two island clusters. West of the Faroe islands, the Faroe Gap plays a similar role.
This can be considered in relation to the convection rolls system. The Faroe-Shetland Trough clearly follows the convection rolls alignment. Let us combine the calculated alignment and the circular formation north of the islands, assuming a north-south symmetry of the said form.
The Faroe Islands Platform in calculated form
The calculated alignment of convection rolls at 62°N has the deviation 53° from west axis. The arc found north of the islands has symmetrical end points, coinciding with similar trends of the sides to the east and west (both have deviation of 53° from east-west axis). The resulting fan image is the basic form of the Faroe Islands Platform.
And if compared to the convection rolls system, you might become surprised!
The position of the Faroe Islands Platform within the convection rolls system
This shows that the more you look into each aspect, the more you know, the more you understand, the more clear the resemblance between surface topography and interior magma flow.
If we simply prolong the drift vector over 58 million years, the distance is more than 1,000 kilometers. Take the two factors into account, expansion of sea floor, and the rotation of it:
The preconditions of tectonic drift of Faroe Islands for 58 Ma
Later, when the Reykjanes Ridge took over, the line from Iceland to Greenland caused volcanism in E-Greenland. Therefore, the path over Greenland is actually caused by two different convection rolls division lines.
This could of course also be drawn with 10 pictures in a timeline 🙂
The position 58 Ma
This is a bit different from convectional drawings. The lines fit to all the igneous rock formations. The line forming the Labrador Sea extends between Ireland and Scotland, causing eruptions there. The combined effects of expansion of the North Atlantic, Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone and the N-E rotational trend of Europe explain the movement to present location during the next 58 Ma. Greenland on the other hand drifts back and forth during that time, first to N-E and then to N-W.
This is by no means an exact drawing, but what is pointed out here is the combination of the main system responsible for the opening of the Labrador Sea, the shift to the formation of the Reykjanes Ridge, and the igneous rock in Ireland and Scotland.
Magic Magma 